diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/DefaultGroup.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/DefaultGroup.java
index 90da929..d0777ec 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/DefaultGroup.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/DefaultGroup.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     private long referenceCount;
     private GroupId id;
     private int age;
+    private int failedRetryCount;
 
     /**
      * Initializes default values.
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@
         bytes = 0;
         referenceCount = 0;
         age = 0;
+        failedRetryCount = 0;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -135,6 +137,11 @@
         return age;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int failedRetryCount() {
+        return failedRetryCount;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the new state for this entry.
      *
@@ -190,6 +197,16 @@
         return referenceCount;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void incrFailedRetryCount() {
+        failedRetryCount++;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void setFailedRetryCount(int failedRetryCount) {
+        this.failedRetryCount = failedRetryCount;
+    }
+
     /*
      * The deviceId, type and buckets are used for hash.
      *
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/Group.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/Group.java
index 39c6a3d..dd2aa63 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/Group.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/Group.java
@@ -105,4 +105,12 @@
      * @return the age of the group as an integer
      */
     int age();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the count for the number of attempts at programming a failed
+     * group.
+     *
+     * @return the count for the number of failed attempts at programming this group
+     */
+    int failedRetryCount();
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/StoredGroupEntry.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/StoredGroupEntry.java
index 6d22fa7..760fc5a 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/StoredGroupEntry.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/net/group/StoredGroupEntry.java
@@ -72,4 +72,20 @@
      * @param referenceCount reference count
      */
     void setReferenceCount(long referenceCount);
+
+    /**
+     * Increments the count for the number of failed attempts in programming
+     * this group.
+     *
+     */
+    void incrFailedRetryCount();
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the count for the number of failed attempts in programming this
+     * group.
+     *
+     * @param failedRetryCount count for number of failed attempts in
+     *            programming this group
+     */
+    void setFailedRetryCount(int failedRetryCount);
 }